Coolness of the Eyes Lite – Fiqh of Salah notes
(Notes on the pillars of prayer, the wajibaat of prayer, the obligation of prayer, the consequence of its neglect, issues related to adhan and iqamaah, 40 ways in building your khushoo and attaining that sweetness in prayer)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said “Verily between man and polytheism (al-shirk) and disbelief (al-kufr) is abandoning the prayer” [Narrated by Muslim]
The Great Virtues of Lowering the Gaze
By Imâm Ibn al-Qayyim
Allâh, the Exalted said,
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their sight and guard their private parts; that will make for greater purity for them. Indeed Allâh is well acquainted with all that they do.” [an-Nûr (24):30]
So Allâh made purification and spiritual growth to be the outcome of lowering the sight and guarding the private parts. It is for this reason that lowering one’s sight from (seeing) the prohibited things necessarily leads to three benefits that carry tremendous value and are of great significance.
The First: experiencing the delight and sweetness of faith
This delight and sweetness is far greater and more desirable that which might have been attained from the object that one lowered his sight from for the sake of Allâh. Indeed, “whosoever leaves something for the sake of Allâh then Allâh, the Mighty and Magnificent, will replace it with something better than it.”[1]
The soul is a temptress and loves to look at beautiful forms and the eye is the guide of the heart. The heart commissions its guide to go and look to see what is there and when the eye informs it of a beautiful image it shudders out of love and desire for it. Frequently such inter-relations tire and wear down both the heart and the eye as is said:
When you sent your eye as a guide
For your heart one day, the object of sight fatigued you
For you saw one over whom you had no power
Neither a portion or in totality, instead you had to be patient.
Therefore when the sight is prevented from looking and investigating the heart finds relief from having to go through the arduous task of (vainly) seeking and desiring.
Whosoever lets his sight roam free will find that he is in a perpetual state of loss and anguish for sight gives birth to love (mahabbah) the starting point of which is the heart being devoted and dependant upon that which it beholds. This then intensifies to become fervent longing (sabâbah) whereby the heart becomes totally dependant and devoted to the (object of its desire). Then this further intensifies and becomes infatuation (gharâmah) which clings to the heart like the one seeking repayment of a debt clings firmly to the one who has to pay the debt. Then this intensifies and becomes passionate love (‘ishk) and this is a love that transgresses all bounds. Then this further intensifies and becomes crazed passion (shaghafa) and this is a love that encompasses every tiny part of the heart. Then this intensifies and becomes worshipful love (tatayyuma). Tatayyum means worship and it is said: tayyama Allâh i.e. he worshipped Allâh.
Hence the heart begins to worship that which is not correct for it to worship and the reason behind all of this was an illegal glance. The heart is now bound in chains whereas before it used to be the master, it is now imprisoned whereas before it was free. It has been oppressed by the eye and it complains to it upon which the eye replies: I am your guide and messenger and it was you who sent me in the first place!
All that has been mentioned applies to the heart that has relinquished the love of Allâh and being sincere to Him for indeed the heart must have an object of love that it devotes itself to. Therefore when the heart does not love Allâh Alone and does not take Him as its God then it must worship something else.
Allâh said concerning Yûsuf as-Siddîq (AS),
“Thus (did We order) so that We might turn away from him all evil and indecent actions for he was one of Our sincere servants.” [Yûsuf (12):24]
It was because the wife of al-‘Azîz was a polytheist that (the passionate love) entered her heart despite her being married. It was because Yûsuf (AS) was sincere to Allâh that he was saved from it despite his being a young man, unmarried and a servant.
The Second: the illumination of the heart, clear perception and penetrating insight
Ibn Shujâ` al-Kirmânî said, “whosoever builds his outward form upon following the Sunnah, his internal form upon perpetual contemplation and awareness of Allâh, he restrains his soul from following desires, he lowers his gaze from the forbidden things and he always eats the lawful things then his perception and insight shall never be wrong.”
Allâh mentioned the people of Lût and what they were afflicted with and then He went on to say,
“Indeed in this are signs for the Mutawassimîn.” [al-Hijr (15):75]
The Mutwassimîn are those who have clear perception and penetrating insight, those who are secure from looking at the unlawful and performing indecent acts.
Allâh said after mentioning the verse concerning lowering the sight,
“Allâh is the Light of the heavens and the earth.” [an-Nûr (24):35]
The reason behind this is that the reward is of the same type as the action. So whosoever lowers his sight from the unlawful for the sake of Allâh, the Mighty and Magnificent, He will replace it with something better than it of the same type. So just as the servant restrained the light of his eye from falling upon the unlawful, Allâh blesses the light of his sight and heart thereby making him perceive what he would not have seen and understood had he not lowered his sight.
This is a matter that the person can physically sense in himself for the heart is like a mirror and the base desires are like rust upon it. When the mirror is polished and cleaned of the rust then it will reflect the realities (haqâ‘iq) as they actually are. However if it remains rusty then it will not reflect properly and therefore its knowledge and speech will arise from conjecture and doubt.
The Third: the heart becoming strong, firm and courageous
Allâh will give it the might of aid for its strength just as He gave it the might of clear proofs for its light. Hence the heart shall combine both of these factors and as a result, Shaytân shall flee from it. It is mentioned in the narration, “whosoever opposes his base desires, the Shaytân shall flee in terror from his shade.”[2]
This is why the one who follows his base desires shall find in himself the ignominy of the soul, its being weak, feeble and contemptible. Indeed Allâh places nobility for the one who obeys Him and disgrace for the one who disobeys Him,
“So do not lose heart nor fall into despair; for you must gain mastery if you are true in faith.” [Äli Imrân (3):139]
“If any do seek for nobility and power then to Allâh belongs all nobility and power.” [Fâtir (35):10]
Meaning that whosoever seeks after disobedience and sin then Allâh, the Might and Magnificent, will humiliate the one who disobeys Him.
Some of the salaf said, “the people seek nobility and power at the door of the Kings and they will not find it except through the obedience of Allâh.”
This is because the one who obeys Allâh has taken Allâh as his friend and protector and Allâh will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron. In the Du‘â Qunût their occurs, “the one who You take as a friend is not humiliated and the one who You take as an enemy is not ennobled.”[3]
Notes:
Reported by Ahmad [5/363], al-Marwazî in ‘Zawâ`id az-Zuhd’ [no. 412], an-Nasâ`î in ‘al-Kubrâ’ as mentioned in ‘Tuhfah al-Ashrâf’ [11/199] from one of the Companions that the Messenger of Allâh 
said, “indeed you will not leave anything for the sake of Allâh except that Allâh will replace it with something better than it.” The isnâd is sahîh.
This is not established as a hadîth of the Prophet .
Reported by Abû Dâwûd [Eng. Trans. 1/374 no. 1420], an-Nasâ`î [3/248], at-Tirmidhî [no. 464], ibn Mâjah [no. 1178], ad-Dârimî [1/311], Ahmad [1/199], ibn Khuzaymah [2/151] from al Hasan from Alî (RA).
The hadîth is sahîh. The isnâd has been criticised by many, however none of the criticisms hold. Refer to: ‘Nasb ar-Râyah’ [2/125] and ‘Talkhîs al-Habîr’ [1/247]
Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah rahimahullaah
Majmoo al-Fataawaa 10/88-90
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said:
“The master of invocations for forgiveness is that the servant says:
O’ my ‘ilãh You are my Lord, there is no ‘ilãh but You. You created me, and I am your bondservant, and I will stick to my covenant and promise [of faith and sincere obedience] to You, as to my ability. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done, I acknowledge, to You, your bounties upon me, and I acknowledge, to You, my sin. Thus forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
Whoever says this as he enters upon evening, then, dies that night, he would enter Paradise; and if one says this as he enters upon morning, then, dies that day, he would enter Paradise.” [Al-Bukhari]
The servant is always in the blessings of Allah, which necessitate thankfulness, and in sinfulness, which requires seeking forgiveness. Both of these matters are required and essential for the servant at all times, as the servant does not cease to alternate between Allaah’s (various) favors and blessings, and does not cease to be in need of repentance and seeking forgiveness.
This is why the Master of the Children of Adam, and the Leader of the Pious, Muhammad, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam sought forgiveness in all circumstances. He said in an authentic hadeeth reported by al-Bukhari:
“O people, repent to your Lord, for verily I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to him more than seventy times in a day.”
It is reported in Saheeh Muslim that he said: “I seek forgiveness one hundred times in a day.” [Muslim]
`Abdullah ibn `Umar said: We counted in a single sitting the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, saying one hundred times:
My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, verily you are Acceptor of Repentance, Oft-Forgiving. [Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah]
This is why seeking forgiveness was legislated at the end of actions. Allah the Exalted said:
“Those who seek forgiveness before dawn (at late night).” [Aal `Imraan (3):17]
Some of them said: “Give life to your nights by performing Prayer, and when the time of late night comes, concern yourself with seeking forgiveness.”
It is related in the Saheeh that the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, when he finished his Prayer, he would seek forgiveness three times and say:
[O' my 'ilãh You are 'As-Salãm [One free from flaws], and from You comes Salãm [peace, or safety], blessed are Thee O’ haver of glory and kindness.] [Muslim]
Allah says:
“And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [al-Muzammil (73):20]
(Even) After the Prophet conveyed the Message, fought in the path of Allah with true jihad, and performed what Allah ordered more than anyone else, Allah commanded his Prophet (to perform istighfar), as He the Exalted said:
“When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.” [An-Nasr (110):1-3]
This is why the Deen is established with Tawheed and Istighfaar, as Allah the Exalted said:
“Alif Lam Ra. [This is] a Book whose verses are perfected an then presented in detail from [one who is] Wise and Acquainted. [Through a messenger, saying], “Do not worship except Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings,” and [saying], “Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision.” [Hood(11):1-3]
And Allah says:
“So take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness.” [Fussilat (41):6].
And He says:
“So know [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women.” [Muhammad (47):19]
This is why it was it came in a narration: “The Shaytan said: People are destroyed with sins, and they destroy me with ‘Laa ilaha ill Allah’ and seeking forgiveness.”[Reported by Ibn Abi Asim and Abu Ya`la, but its chain is a fabrication].
Yoonus, `alayhis salam, said:
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” [al-Anbiyaa' (21):87]
The Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, when he would ride his mount, he would praise Allah, then say Allahu Akbar three times, then say:
[I testify that there is no 'ilah except You, Glorified are You, I have transgressed upon myself, so forgive me] [Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi, who said it is hasan saheeh]
Expiation of a gathering with which the gathering is completed is (the supplication):
[Glorified are You O' my 'ilãh and I am in Your praise, I testify that there is no 'ilah except You, I ask Your forgiveness and repent unto You.] [Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhee, who said it is hasan saheeh]
Allah knows best, and may His blessings and peace be upon [the Prophet] Muhammad.
Chapter 4 – Chapter of Witr upon the animal…Explained by Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul-Haq
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (رضى الله عنه) : Allâh’s Messenger Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) used to pray Witr on the back of the camel (while on a journey) [Hadeeth 543, al Tajrid al Sarih]
Imam Bukhari (رحمة الله عليه) wishes to show the permissibly of praying Witr salah on an animal or mount in this chapter.
Nafil salah can be performed upon an animal or mount according to all ulema without any attenuating circumstances. The equivalent today would be praying on a plane, train or in a car. But all ulema agree that fardh salah cannot be prayed on a means of transport. Hence, the question is what about Witr salah?
Imam Abu Hanifah (رحمة الله عليه) says Witr salah is wajib and therefore cannot be performed on transport without any reason or any attenuating circumstances. Imam Abu Yusuf (رحمة الله عليه) and Imam Muhammad (رحمة الله عليه) of the Hanafi fiqh call Witr sunnah but still say it must be performed on the ground and not on a mount. This is also the view of several other ulema.
Imam Malik (رحمة الله عليه), Imam Shafi (رحمة الله عليه) and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (رحمة الله عليه) say that Witr can be performed on a mount. They rely on this hadeeth and other similar hadeeth for their evidence. The Hanafi ulema do not act literally on this hadeeth because of conflicting reports from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Abdullah ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه).
This hadeeth is abridged. The longer version states that Abdullah ibn Umar (رضى الله عنه would pray Witr on a camel and then tell people that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would pray like this i.e. on a mount. In other hadeeth, it is said that he would pray nafil on a camel and then he would dismount and pray Witr salah.
All ulema agree that Witr salah was actually fardh (wajib) for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), even though the same scholars say that Witr is sunnah for the ummah. So why did the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) pray on a mount if Witr was an obligatory prayer for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)? Imam Malik (رحمة الله عليه) answers that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would only pray Witr on a camel when he was travelling on a shar’ee journey i.e. at a distance where there is a concession for all the fardh salah which are prayed qasar so all four rakaat prayers become two, hence this was a concession for Witr salah for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) i.e. on a journey he could pray Witr salah on a mount.
Also, Hanafi ulema believe that this hadeeth may be related to a time before Witr salah took on a special nature i.e. in the earlier days of Islam, and also just as many other laws of Islam evolved e.g. at one point, people could respond to salaam whilst praying salah etc and similarly this law of praying Witr on a mount may have evolved.
Next, Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq related this hadeeth to modern day circumstances. He said that all ulema agree that nafil salah can be prayed on a train, plane, car etc without having to face the Qiblah but there are 3 cases which have to be considered (this was covered in a previous lesson, commentary of hadeeth 261) as follows:
1. Person is within his own city
2. Person is travelling but not on a shar’ee journey e.g. 25 miles
3. Person is travelling on a shar’ee journey e.g. 100 miles where even if person is one mile out of town, he or she can pray shortened prayers.
Most ulema say nafil salah can be prayed seated on on a mount for case 2. Some ulema e.g. Imam Abu Yusuf (رحمة الله عليه) say you can for case 1 e.g. even if you are on a 5 or 10 minutes journey. Imam Malik (رحمة الله عليه) says nafil salah cannot be prayed on a mount etc except for case 3 i.e. on a shar’ee journey.
What about fardh salah on modern day travel on coaches, planes and train? A scheduled stop is beyond the control of the passenger e.g. on a plane, train or even a long coach journey. Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq is of the opinion that one should not delay the salah – the ulema do agree that this is not allowed except for pressing circumstances, usually extreme weather (heavy rain where there is ‘water above and below’) or due to the fear of an enemy or animals etc. However, on a plane or train/coach you cannot do anything so either you miss your salah or you pray – as a stop is beyond one’s control and therefore the Shaykh says you should pray.
A brilliant reminder by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Shareef
Bismillaah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem
Here is a list of 10 things that would not take more than 10 minutes of our time. And if we truly understood the happiness these actions bring in this life and the next, we would spend our life in dedication to these deeds:
10. Pray 2 rakaat (Salatul Duha) anytime after sunrise and before Dhuhr.
Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu said, “My khaleel, Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam advised me to do three things (1) That I fast 3 days of each month and (2) To pray 2 rakaat of Duha and (3) That I do my witr before sleeping” (Bukhari and Muslim).
9. Pray for RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
He sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever prays for me once, Allah blesses that person 10 times (because of that prayer)” (Muslim).
8. Repeat what the mu’adhdhin is saying.
Abdullah ibn Amr narrates: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, the ones that call the people to prayer receive more reward than us.”
So Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam replied, “Say what they say, then when you finish, pray for anything and you shall be given it” (Abu Dawood).
7. Say subhan Allah – How far Allah is from imperfection! –100 times.
Mus’ab ibn Sa’d said: My father told me that he was with Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam when he remarked, “Does any one of you not have the ability to attain 1000 hasanaat (good deeds) every day? Let him do tasbeeh (Subhan Allah) 100 times and it will be written for him as 1000 hasanaat or 1000 sins will be wiped from his record” (Muslim).
6. Play with your children for the sake of Allah.
Jabir narrates: We were with Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam on our way to an invitation to a meal when we passed Al-Husayn playing in the alley with some Ansar children. Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam walked a little faster to go and play with him. He stuck out his hand to take him, but Al-Husayn ran here and there squealing gleefully until Allah’s Messenger caught him. Then he sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam held his chin with one hand and his head with the other and kissed Al-Husayn and hugged him (Bukhari).
5. Make du’a often during times of ease.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever it pleases that Allah answer his supplications during times of calamity and hardship, let him increase his supplication amidst the times of ease” (Tirmidhi and Al Hakim).
Bonus: Say the Dhikr after Making Wudu.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “If anyone of you, after perfecting his wudu, says, ‘Ash hadu an laa ilaaha illAllah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘Abduhu wa Rasooluh (I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger), the eight gates of Jannah will open for him and he will be permitted to enter from whichever he wishes” (Muslim).
4. Pick up the phone to call your mother (or a close relative) and tell them that you love them.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “The Wasil (One who fulfils the rights of his ties of kinship) is not the one who does good when family members do good (and bad when they are bad). The Wasil is the one who, when family members cut him off he does good to them” (Interpretation of a Bukhari).
3. Take a few minutes to stop and contemplate Allah’s amazing creation, of your eyes, voice, and entire body. Allah says in the Qur’an:
And on the earth are signs for the certain (in faith) /And in yourselves, will you not see (and contemplate) (Az-Zariyat 51/20-21)?
2. Share a part of your lunch with someone.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Oh Abu Dharr! If you cook any soup, increase its water and then look to your neighbors and give them some of it” (Muslim).
And the number one deed you can do in less then 10 minutes…
1. Make du’a for your brother in his absence.
RasulAllah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “If a person prays for his (or her) brother in their absence (without them knowing), an angel (hears the du’a) and replies, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same’”(Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi).
In fact, whenever the Sahaabah and Taabi’een wanted their du’a to be answered quickly, they would ask the same thing for their brother in order to get the angel to reply, ‘Ameen! And may Allah give you the same.’
In sha Allah, let’s all try at the very least to find one deed from this list and implement it in this coming week. After it has become habit, try another deed and so on. This is how we can all grow.
This is the reality of oppression in our planet today…May Allah SWT bless us with people who will not fear the blame of the blamers
We are all guilty of this so no point denying it, Astagfirullah Adheem….By the Shaykh of Love Ibn Hazm Al-Andalusi
“And I will describe something to you that you see with your own eyes: and that is that I have never seen a woman in any place who senses that a man is looking at or listening to her, except that she begins to gesture in a way that she not normally gesture, and begins to make remarks the likes of which she was not making before, and you would see her pay more attention to how she articulates her words and how she varies her postures – in an obvious and non-subtle manner. Men do the same thing if they sense the presence of women. As for the showing off of physical features, straightening of the walk, and emergence of flirtatious behavior that occurs when men and women come to be in each other’s presence or cross each other’s paths, then this is clearer than the Sun in every place.
Allah – the Mighty and Exalted – Said: {“Tell the believers to lower their eyes and protect their private parts…”} [an-Nur; 30], and He Said: {“And let the women not tap with their feet, making their hidden ornaments known…”} [an-Nur; 31]
Were it not for Allah’s knowledge of the soft manner in which women droop their eyelids when attempting to win the affection of men’s hearts, and the plans that they secretly concoct in order to rouse a man’s desires, He would never have revealed a verse regarding something so remote.”
['Tawq al-Hamamah' (The Ring of the Dove); p. 97]
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